Art therapy, arts-based research and transitional stories of domestic violence and abuse

Visual imagery within qualitative research is an established method of gathering data that has parallels to the way in which images are used within art therapy. This paper explores how visual imagery was used to investigate women’s responses to domestic violence and abuse and examines how art therapy principles shaped the development and conducting of that research. Through the use of collage, participants created visual representations of their responses to experiences of domestic violence and abuse. The visual representations were, when combined with spoken words, created stories that reference the past, present and future. The stories created have been termed transitional stories of domestic violence. These stories show that the home has special significance for women as they transition away from domestic violence and plan for their future. The home becomes both a metaphorical and physical manifestation and container of hopes for a harmonious future that often incorporates the desire for the return to the idea of a complete family. This paper will present the findings of the arts-based research conducted, and consider the implications upon art therapy practice of those findings.N

Migration: Acculturation Process, Cultural Identity Development, and Art Therapy Imagery of Adolescent Migrants

The migration process implies a redefinition of one's cultural identity as well as exposure to acculturative stress linked to the process of acculturation. This research project intends to investigate the art of adolescents that have undergone the process of migration. It has for aim to describe cultural identity, migration, and the acculturation process, and it will also discuss the implication of these issues for art therapy. These issues will be related to the imagery made by adolescent migrants during their adaptation process, which will be illustrated through two case vignettes. These will portray how the migration experience may be expressed through art and clinical exchanges. The North American context is a welcoming ground for a variety of migrant individuals and groups; the resulting blending of cultures is in perpetual expansion in this particular society which renders research that tackles issues of culture and relocation invaluable. Current art therapy research has discussed the importance of cultural identity, however, discussion of symbolism and imagery related to cultural identity and the migration and post-migration process is scarce. Research underlining how these issues may be worked through the clinical context and how they are expressed in the art, may prove valuable for art therapists who intend to work with these issues or with a migrant populatio

Fe- and Eu-Doped TiO2TiO_2 Photocatalytical Materials Prepared by High Energy Ball Milling

To determine resource utilization in controller naïve children diagnosed with asthma receiving initial therapy with fluticasone propionate (FP) and salmeterol (SAL) in a single inhaler (FSC), FP alone, montelukast (MON), inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) + SAL from separate inhalers, or ICS + MON.A retrospective, observational, 18-month (6-month pre-index and 12-month follow-up) database study using medical and pharmacy claims from a 5 million member managed care organization. Multivariate modeling was used to evaluate post-index resource utilization and asthma-related costs. Refill rates during the 12-month follow-up period were compared across cohorts.The study included controller-naïve children (n = 9192) aged 4-17 years with an asthma diagnosis. Children treated with FSC were significantly less likely to receive additional prescriptions for short-acting beta-agonists compared with all other cohorts (p <or= 0.007) and oral corticosteroids compared with the MON, ICS + SAL, and ICS + MON cohorts (p <or= 0.009). Children receiving FSC were also significantly less likely to add another controller therapy compared with children started on FP alone, MON, or ICS + SAL (p <or= 0.001) and to receive care in an emergency department or hospital compared with children receiving ICS + MON (p < 0.001). The number of prescriptions for FSC in the 12-month post-index period was greater (p < 0.05) than the number of ICS claims in the FP, ICS + SAL, and ICS + MON cohorts. Compared with FSC, the adjusted total asthma-related post-index costs were greater (p <or= 0.008) in the MON and ICS + MON cohorts. Although adherence was greater with MON compared with FSC, MON was associated with less favorable clinical outcomes and greater resource utilization and costs.FSC in children is associated with improved clinical outcomes and decreased resource utilization compared with other controller regimens